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Kragator
King, later Emperor Kragator is the master of the Kritor Empire, conqueror of the Matoran Universe, and the primary deviating individual in the Broken Order Universe. History (Prime Reality) In the Prime Reality, Kragator was one of the four Archcommanders, or the leaders of the Hand of Artakha. However, this Kragator (like the Kragators of most alternate universes) wasn't obsessed with leaving a lasting legacy. Following a certain Great Being’s tampering with the Matoran Universe, Kragator and Toa Helryx both played a large hand in the Hand’s dissolution; Helryx because of the damage the undisciplined agents caused, Kragator because of the lack of a central command structure. With the help of Sheriem and Koram, the other two Archcommanders, the organization was disbanded. When Helryx lay out her plans to reform the Hand into the Order of Mata Nui, Kragator highly supported the idea and became a strategic officer in the organization. It was he who originally posited the idea of using the Ce-Matoran example of constructing mental barriers (an idea he also used for the Kritor Empire in that universe.) Over time, although he was never demoted, the position he held was gradually reduced in status as other strategic officers were installed, some holding status above him. Kragator resented this, but, having placed his stake in the success of the Order, did not make major moves in opposition to this. As the Ancient War drew to a close, and as the organization that would be known as the Dark Hunters began its rise, Kragator's simmering resentment of the Order reached a point where he convinced Helryx to transfer him to work as an undercover Dark Hunter. There he flexed his natural skill as a warrior and, under the code-name "Janitor" worked as a low-key all-purpose assassin. After considering letting the Shadowed One in on the existence of the Order of Mata Nui, he rejected this, instead cluing "Ancient" (and later "Lariska") in instead, as well as a handful of others. Informing Helryx of their knowledge, these Dark Hunters, too, became undercover Order operatives leaving them to do the Order's major tasks, being already highly-enmeshed in the organization, leaving Kragator to serve the Dark Hunters in peace. Kragator was later killed incidentally by Makuta Teridax in the latter's reign of shadows. Overall, he lived a generally inconsequential life and died quickly forgotten. History (The Broken Order Universe) The Time Before Time In the early days of the Matoran Universe, Kragator was one of the four Archcommanders in the Hand of Artakha. However, following a certain Great Being’s tampering with the Matoran Universe, Kragator and Toa Helryx both played a large hand in the Hand’s dissolution; Helryx because of the damage the undisciplined agents caused, Kragator because of the lack of a central command structure. With the help of Sheriem and Koram, the other two Archcommanders, the organization was disbanded. Several months later, a secret meeting was held at Keetongu Isle in the Southern Islands to discuss a means of reconstructing the Hand into a more effective structure. Helryx advocated the formation of a secret organization to maintain order in the universe. Kragator, however, sensed an opportunity. He suggested a visible organization and a heavy hand to keep the universe in check. The debate waged for months, the sides polarized between Helryx and Kragator with Kragator emerging as the more dominant of the two. Finally, Helryx called a meeting with Kragator to announce the formation of the Order of Mata Nui. The two argued, even fighting physically until they were broken up by Sheriem. They each returned to their bases on the island where Helryx issued the call for all agents of the Hand to return under the banner of the Order of Mata Nui. When Kragator heard of this, he launched a full-scale attack on the base of Helryx and her followers and sent soldiers to kill the messengers of Helryx. Helryx escaped, but the rest of her followers didn’t. When the Hand agents did return, Kragator was waiting for them. Unopposed, he declared the formation of the Kritor Alliance. He selected the island of Bythrain as their base and absorbed the native people into the organization. Early Days of the Kritor Alliance As the Kritor Alliance developed, Kragator very much kept in mind the official reasons for the Hand’s formation: to protect and serve Mata Nui. However, he worked carefully to keep the Kritor Alliance structured around a central monarch, and over time the Kritor Alliance became heavily dependent on his charisma and stable governance. Because of this, Kragator worried about having an heir in the event of his death, as a successor would need very specific characteristics to remain intact. Early on in Kragator’s career, he saw one of the old generals of the Hand, Koram conquer the lower half of the Southern Continent. He ruled the area for several years, lasting until several teams of Toa put him down. (Koram was later killed in a fight with Makuta Miserix, although the Kritors weren’t aware of the Makuta presence at that point.) Kragator visited the region several times, first a few months following Koram’s defeat, then several years afterward, and then a century and a half later, each time observing the lasting impression Koram had left on the region. This would be a large factor shaping Kragator’s philosophies regarding legacy. Not long after the Kritor Alliance was fully operational and the construction of the Bythrain Fortress was complete, Kragator tracked down Sheriem, the last of the Archcommanders (aside from Helryx who’d all but disappeared). Sheriem was living as a hermit when Kragator found him. The two met where Kragator offered him an opportunity to join the Kritors or be exiled to the Pit. Sheriem elected exile over joining the Kritors. Kragator left, and, two days later, Sheriem was spirited away by Botar, a Kritor soldier. Although his agents were constantly on the hunt for Helryx, Kragator considered his rule over the reformed Hand of Artakha to be complete. As a new power in the universe, Kragator sent out agents to all major inhabited islands to get a feel for them. Although the Kritor Alliance was wary of Destral, they were confident their power in the universe wasn’t threatened. The Makuta/Kritor Conflict The inevitable meeting between the Brotherhood of Makuta and Kritor Alliance finally occurred over a conflict involving the Brotherhood’s Rahi testing on the Tren Krom Peninsula. Some inhabitants of the region appealed to the rising Kritor power for help. Kragator, more pleased by the recognition of the Kritor Alliance as a major power than concerned for the welfare of the peninsula’s inhabitants, came to their aid. As the inevitable standoff began, both organizations began mobilizing for war. Recognizing the destruction a war would cause, a council of Turaga and other world leaders met to negotiate peace between the two rival organizations. The powerhouses agreed to the terms of the peace and the clash was momentarily resolved. (Ironically, the resulting power struggle would not only guarantee conflict down the road, but it would ensure any resulting war would be far more devastating.) Of the League of Six Kingdoms and Other “Empires” Despite having recruiting the majority of former Hand agents, there were still a handful of Hand agents unaffiliated with the Alliance. The Kritors did their best to either recruit these or kill them off. One such member, an Arbiter called Axonn led a conquest of a significant amount of the Southern Islands including homelands of the Arbiter, Savager, Atelvas, and Imbiber races. Kragator, seeing potential benefits of absorbing Axonn’s empire (as well as the loss of a competitor), he dispatched several agents to appeal to his membership in the Hand. Axonn agreed to join the Kritors, donating his empire in return for a decent position in the Alliance. He was given a job as a head interrogator. Following this, the Kritors sent several agents to investigate the native species and recruit those that held potential as Kritor soldiers. One such individual was Brutaka who would eventually find himself working alongside Axonn, the former master of his homeland. Although their relationship was rough at first, they soon became good friends. When six beings known as the Barraki warlords began carving an empire for themselves, both the Kritor Alliance and the Brotherhood of Makuta responded harshly. King Kragator feared a nation rivaling their power and success, so the Kritors struck at the League of Six Kingdoms, working informally with the Brotherhood of Makuta, crushing it in the Four Month War. The Bythrain reshuffling of power and the Karchari and Hapol Conflicts The emergence of a rivalry with the Brotherhood as well as a looming fear the Kritor Alliance would see the same fate as the Hand of Artakha, Kragator started working to reshuffle power within Bythrain to reflect a more militaristic nature. This process saw many old buildings torn down and rebuilt for a more efficient and war-ready format. The reconstruction marked an abandonment of the original charter of the Alliance and the intention of protecting Mata Nui’s interests. Now the Alliance was a fully self-serving organization with what was already established as one of the two most powerful armies in history. Desiring to test the new power structure, King Kragator decided he wanted colonial holdings. His army invaded pre-selected uninhabited islands along the rim of the universe, where the Makuta wouldn’t notice. One of these islands was the island of Karchari, just north of the Dark Hunters' base at Odina, strategically positioned in case they proved a threat to Kritor interests. However, the Dark Hunters had already established a secret base there, and when Kritor armies stormed the island, they sent word to the Shadowed One who threatened Bythrain with a formal alliance with the Brotherhood of Makuta. Kragator begrudgingly withdrew his forces from Karchari. His secret invasions now exposed, he withdrew his forces from the other colonies due to pressure from the rest of the universe except for those at Jarlin in the Southern Islands and Yerefar to the north of Tren Krom. Additionally, the Kritors refused to give up several lands gained from Axonn’s conquest. Not long after this, the natives of Bythrain (likely seeing weakness in Kragator following the Karchari Conflict) rose up, demanding exceptional treatment for their service and their island. Kragator opposed this and when they went on a rampage, Kragator was forced to crush the uprising and kill the rabble-rousers. While he did this quickly, it disrupted the power structure he’d established and meant Bythrain once again had to be reorganized. When the Dark Hunters called on the Kritors for help against the invading Makuta in the Hapol Conflict, Bythrain was in no position for war. Instead Kragator issued an ultimatum to both organizations. Consequentially, the Makuta backed down and the Dark Hunters gained the unique privilege of protection from both the Makuta and the Kritors. The Kritor/Makuta War The First Half of the War As time went on and tensions grew with the Brotherhood of Makuta, Toa took actions, distributing Toa stones and making preparations to protect the universe in case of all-out war. An organization known as the Alignment formed with the intent of tearing apart both the Brotherhood of Makuta and the Kritor Alliance. Kragator ignored them, however, as they could do little to hurt the Kritors. Tension with the rest of the universe finally boiled over when Kragator refused to turn a being from another universe over to international waters in accordance with the Treaty of Gera Nui. Furious, the Makuta began mobilizing their troops, an action matched by the Kritors. It was during this time several Kritor soldiers recovered Ervik, a Toa Uniran who’d been lost to sea. Kragator adopted Ervik as a pupil, and perhaps something more. War at last erupted when Kragator landed troops on Artakha, overrunning the island within a day. The Makuta responded in kind, gaining control of Xia and Stelt. Kragator then launched a siege of Karzahni which fell similarly. Following this, the Makuta gained control of Daxia and Zarnor. Undaunted by his rivals’ new power, Kragator declared the formation of the Kritor Empire on Artidax with him as its emperor. When the Brotherhood of Makuta reformed as the Makuta League and declared full post-war immunity for any race or organization that helped them during the war, Kragator did the same. When the Kritor and Makuta forces collided at last on Nynrah, Kragator met with Miserix in person for the first time in six thousand years. Miserix offered Kragator an opportunity for an alliance, an opportunity Kragator turned down. When the battle erupted, the Makuta were initially winning until Kragator activated a new mask, the Mask of No Powers, the product of an alliance between Artakha and Karzahni. To Kragator’s chagrin, however, this mask only served to put the two armies on equal footing, not giving the Kritors the needed edge to score a decisive victory on Nynrah. The battle waged for days until the Dark Hunters/Alignment force swept down from the north, forcing both exhausted armies into a retreat. Kragator stormed home, crushed by his failure on Nynrah. Seeking to get an edge over the Makuta, he turned to interrogated the other-worlder who’d been the spark of the war. Unfortunately, there he learned that in the other universe, the Order of Mata Nui had been the successor to the Hand, instead of the Kritor Alliance/Empire, and Helryx the victor in the Archcommand struggle, not Kragator. The new fear that his success was a matter of chance sent Kragator into a mental breakdown and because the Kritor Empire was so dependent on him, the Makuta sent the Kritor forces on the decline. Seeing the collapse of the Kritor Empire, the Dark Hunters allied with the Makuta League. Some time later, a stabilizing Kragator sailed on his flagship, The Oblivion, to the island of Tren Krom. There he used his Mask of No Powers to interrogate the helpless Tren Krom into giving information that could provide an edge over the Makuta. He was told of Karda Nui and the secret to accessing it. Kragator filed this information away for later. When he returned at last to Bythrain, he led the resurgence of the Kritor Empire, issuing the conquests of the Periphery Islands except for Metru Nui. He then issued three letters; one for the Dark Hunters, one for the Makuta League, and one for the Alignment. In his letter to the Dark Hunters he informed them that they would be conquered by the end of the week. In his letter to the Makuta League, he commended them for their efforts in the war thus far, as well as their conquest of the Central Bodies, and offered an oppertunity to partake in a month-long truce (this offer was taken up by the Makuta). In his letter to the Alignment, he thanked them for their focus on attacking the Makuta League (an action taken to ensure the Makuta League couldn't win the war so easily--something which would protect the Kritor Empire) in his absence. He then offered the unknown leader (though he suspected it was Helryx) of the Alignment a personal meeting, a rare honor offered by Kragator to those who impressed him. Second Half of the War and the Siege of Destral In the month of peace between the Makuta and Kritors, Kragator ordered the Kritors blockade the periphery island chains under Kritor control from the Central bodies. Blockades were positioned along Bythrain, Artidax, Artakha, Karzahni, and Keetongu Island. Only Kritor airships were allowed to cross the blockade; all other ships were obliterated. Interested in the information Tren Krom had given him, Kragator brought his High Commanders and general staff with him to Mount Valmai in the Voya Nui region of the Southern Continent. He ordered several technicians to blow holes near the base of Valmai, with the intention of shattering Valmai's floor and opening a hole to Karda Nui. Any doubt he and the generals had about Tren Krom's honesty vanished when a hole was shattered, and they were staring down the volcano at blue sky. The generals descended using special jetpacks. After a long descent, they reached the bottom. While his commanders waited outside, Kragator ventured into the Codrex, examining its contents (including the Toa Mata). Before he could figure out the importance of the chamber, an energy storm "heartbeat" erupted and the Kritors were forced to flee. Kragator then journeyed to Nynrah where he met the head of the Alignment, who turned out to be Helryx, his former peer in Archcommand. The two reminisced and discussed the fates of Koram and Sheriem the other two Archcommanders, even as they studied each others' attitude and body language. Kragator soon returned to Bythrain where be began the finalization of his plans. These plans were further accelarated when Makuta Spiriah managed to fly past one of his blockades along Keetongu Island and spot the massive Kritor army amassed behind it. Spiriah reported this to Miserix and Kragator unleashed the five armies of the five blockades sooner than planned. The forces began their march, striking major Makuta territories and damaging them only enough so that they couldn't aide Destral for the next several days. Gradually, these armies converged on Destral with the Kragator-led Bythrain fleet arriving last. Once he was certain all the Makuta were within Destral, he activated his Mask of No Powers, trapping the Makuta within the fortress. He then unleashed a vengeful Tobduk and Atrak onto the fortress, tearing the Makuta, Bahrag, and other inhabitants to shreds. When dawn came, Destral had fallen and its inhabitants were only memories. In the Makuta Convocation chamber, Emperor Kragator was crowned Great Spirit of the Matoran Universe by his generals. As the fleets made their way back to Bythrain, they made stops to cement their new control of the Central Bodies. Kragator now ruled the entire universe unopposed. Once he arrived back at Bythrain, Kragator started working on three things to ensure the survival of his empire: taking steps to ensure Mata Nui never could take his universe back; rearranging and tying species together to be more efficient than ever before; revising the Kritor communication systems; and establishing a universal code. As he began dictating these to Ervik, the Alignment soldiers leapt out of their hiding spots and taking the Kritors by surprise. Arrin and Kelrik were the first to reach the throne room at the top of Kragator's tower, only to stop short upon seeing Ervik, their teammate. Taking advantage of their surprise, Kragator began talking with the two Toa who slowly brought him to the realization that Bythrain was irreversibly falling. As more Alignment soldiers neared the room, Kragator was stabbed in the back by Ervik. Kragator fell back and Ervik whispered in the emperor's ear that the Toa would carry on the emperor's legacy right as the others arrived. Posthumous By Helryx's orders, Kragator's body was wrapped up and mummified for about a year, after which it was brought to Metru Nui. To celebrate the beginning of the new era of peace, Helryx had a public celebration wherein Kragator's body was cremated. Not long after the torch was dropped, a titanic figure called Vriin stepped onto the pyre on his way to Helryx's tower. Under the orders of Sheriem, new emperor of the Secret Empire, Vriin killed Helryx. The Alignment commander, Zekrim later lay her body next to that of Kragator. The universe would descend into chaos for many years as the species within grappled with life after the cold war. This chaos would spiral further and further out of control, beyond imaginable limitations, pushed, as it turned out, to its very limits by Ervik and the Kritor High Commanders. When the time was right, Ervik united the Nation-States into a new Kritor Empire in the name of Kragator. In time the universe would again fall to Ervik (renamed "Krevator") and Krevator would go on to conquer their dimension beyond the Matoran Universe and further... Abilities and Traits Kragator is a capable tactician and Barraki. Although he formerly credited his success to his reasoned mind and sage, proven philosophies, when he was told that it was the Order of Mata Nui that had existed in other universes, not the Kritor Alliance, this cast doubt on these beliefs as well as sending him into a mental breakdown. Although Kragator often looks at things from other peoples’ points of view, he generally disregards these view when they stand in his way. He also regards fools, worms, and weaklings as less than equals, although anyone who impresses him he listens to and treats respectfully. Those who particularly impress him he employs as high-ranking officials in his army. He also took a keen interest in mentoring Ervik whom he saw as malleable and teachable. Aims and Goals Kragator had two goals; one short-term goal in life and one long-term goal in death. The former was intended to fulfill the latter. In life, Kragator’s purpose was to unite reality gradually. He intended to lead a conquest of the multiverse starting with the Matoran Universe and gradually expanding the Kritor Empire exponentially. In uniting reality, Kragator would rebuild society to be fully united and thus more efficient, such that everyone across reality would plunge headlong into the future. The new empire would also be militarized to deal with threats from universes beyond the reach of any Olmak. However, in death his goal was quite different. From his earliest days, but especially after Koram’s conquest, Kragator’s primary objective was to establish a lasting legacy for himself and thus be immortal in the only way he could see possible. Driven by the philosophy that “Legacy is what makes your life worthwhile,” Kragator intended his multiversal conquest to leave a lasting legacy so that his name would be renowned through all space and time. He even ensured that the Kritor Alliance/Empire would collapse unless an heir worthy of his legacy was capable of reviving it. Legacy From the very beginning, Kragator left his mark on history. Following the first Kritor conflict with the Makuta the Kritor Alliance gained universal recognition of their power. The Brotherhood of Makuta were well known for their power and the Kritor Alliance consisted of ordinary beings who’d successfully matched them. The Barraki of the League of Six Kingdoms was the first organization to try to replicate the Kritor feat, but it is by no means the last. When Krevator revived the Kritor Empire, it was with the same ambitions of Kragator, such that he even considered himself Kragator himself. This was perfectly in line with Kragator's plans as Ervik had been formed into a virtually perfect replica of himself complete with his teachings and fears--and so Krevator was born. Powers and Equipment Kragator has no natural powers, with the exception that he can use Kanohi. Until recently he never wore Kanohi (only metal helmets) but when he conquered the islands of Artakha and Karzahni, he made the islands’ rulers work together to create a super-Kanohi he could use against the Makuta. The resulting creation was the Mask of No Powers, or a mask capable of taking away the powers of all beings within a mio radius. This mask later became one of the two objects designating the inheritance of the Kritor Empire. His primary weapon was a broadsword, famous for its multiple functions. Because of its many functions, Kragator's Sword was the primary emblem of the Kritor Empire. He owned it from his days as an Archcommander of the Hand of Artakha. His sword was the other object designating the inheritance of his legacy. He left stipulations to members of his empire that the being who held both his sword and his mask held the right to resurrect and rule the Kritor Empire. Trivia * Worth noting is the fact that the Kragator of the Broken Order universe would detest any in parallel universes who joined the Hand due to their assumption of a submissive role to Helryx--despite being equals in Archcommand. (Ironically, Sheriem rejected joining the Kritor Order in this universe out of a similar detest at submission--and suffered for it.) However, such parallel Kragators would instead argue that the need to become involved in influencing world affairs was too important an opportunity to ignore or risk jeopardizing with an independent venture. * Kragator, like all Kritor agents, has a mental barrier like that of a Ce-Matoran that prevents their minds from being read. Ironically, if he hadn’t had this when he visited Tren Krom, he could’ve learned the secrets to overthrowing Mata Nui like Mutran did in the Prime Reality. * Because Kragator was cremated, he was incapable of being reincarnated by the Red Star. As much as Gonel loved writing for him, this had to be done. :( * Gonel once took a personality test for Kragator. The results were ENTJ according to the 16 Personalities website (and nearly the exact opposite from Gonel). An image can be seen below: Appearances Main Story: * Destiny's Way * Of Visitations and Revisitations (in a flashback) * Wake (corpse) * Beyond the Known (mentioned) * The Circle of Kragator (mentioned) * The Next Stage (mentioned) * Oblivion's Game (mentioned) Short Stories: * Archcommand Trivia * The model for Kragator was graciously provided by . * Had Kragator not been cremated, he could have had extra time to further his ambitions himself in coming back through the Red Star--something that would also complicate his philosophies and plans. However, because he was burned, his body was unrecoverable and it was left to Krevator to continue his plan. * The reference in the Prime Reality section to Kragator's code-name as "Janitor" is a reference to the trope of the janitor as being the embodiment of Oblivion as featured primarily in Oblivion's Game. The idea that Kragator might have been in the Dark Hunters is included mostly because it seemed cool at the time of writing; however, it may be deleted and returned to its original version just to make Kragator's life in the prime reality under Helryx's version of the organization far more empty and boring and meaningless. Category:Warlords Category:Assassins Category:Order of Mata Nui Category:Dark Hunters